Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-08-17
THE KING OF BEASTS. "
A Greenhorn's Encounter With 6
Couple Of Lions.

A Greenhorn's Encounter With q
Couple Of Lions.
There is this difference between the
lion and the tiger in their native
haunts: The tigor will always fight;
the lion will often run away. When q
hunter has wounded tiger, he can be
dead sure that the beast is going to
make for him TO secure revenge. When
he has wounded lion, he can't be
sure that the beast won't sneak off
like whipped dog. l was in Cape
Colony, Africa, and out on the edges
of the Boer district, twenty years ago,
when the lion had become alarmed at
the evidences of civilization, but was
yet hesitating to withdraw further
north. Along the edges of the Kala-
hari desert, to the west of Cronstadt,
Potchefstrom, and Rustenburg, tho
African lion once grew to his greatest
size and fourished at his best. He
lived on the fat of the land. the
natives let him severely alone, and
there was no one to dispute that he
was monarch of all he surveyed.
A party of eight of us had gone out
from Rustenburg to the West. being
we'll provided with horses, wagons,
tents, provisions and servants, and
after a journey of three days we camped
on the edge of n stream In beautiful
grove. That night | heard wild lion
roar for the first time, and it was by
no means sweet music to my ears. A
male lion and his mate discovered our
camp about midnight, and for half an
hour they seemed determined to get
hold of some of our live stock. But
for our camp fires and the volleys we
fired in the direction of the unwelcome
intruders, we certainly should have lost
one of the oxen, for the lion advanced
within fifty feet of one of the animals
before they could be frightened of, 1t
filed us with enthusiasm to find that
we had got into the lion country, and
we were up and doing at an early hour
next morning. A mile to the south of
us was virgin forest-dark, tangled
and dangerous. Between that and the
desert was strip of bad land
about half mile wide. There were
n few punches OF plants and bushes,
many rocks, and the ground was
sprinklcd with bunch grass. With the
telescope we could see animals of the
antelope species feeding on this strip;
but while was using the glass they
suddenly became alarmed and ran
away, going out of sight to the south.
In the forest was the place to look
for lions by day, or, at least, it was
natural to believe that they would re-
tire to its cover during the hours when
wild beasts sleep, To the north of us
the ''bad lands" continued on out of
sight, but the forest was more open,
being, in fact, succession of groves.
We had two or three natives with us
of much experience in lion hunting,
and they gave us no encouragement to
20 out until toward shutdown. One of the
men had followed the stream back into
the forest for half q mile, and there
found large pool, at which 1t was
evident that many animals came to
drink. Nothing worthy of shot
would come there by daylight. AL
most every wild beast or animal sakcs
lis thirst at night, and only at night.
IL does not seem TO be matter of
choice with them, but law of nature.
The spoor or trail of the two lions
which had paid us midnight visit led
10 the south between the forest and
desert, and, as a heavy dew was fall
ing when they went away, the
trail could be followed at gal
lop. Two of our hunters rode
10 The north to try and get shot at
some hart-beasts seen with the glass,
another went up to look around the
pool and the remainder decided not to
move at all before afternoon. decid-
cd for ride 10 the south, and left
with heavy breech-loading carbine
across my saddle. It wasn't to be de-
pended on for q long shot, but it would
hit TO kill, and it carried ball large
enough to kill an elephant
soon found the bad lands so bad
that had to let my horse pick his way
at walk. kept pretty close the edge
of the forest, knowing stood better
chance of sighting something, and /
was full mile from camp when my
horse suddenly halted, shifted the air
in suspicious manner, and stopped in
his tracks. From his trembling knew
that he was badly frightened, and I
rose In my stirrups to look about for
tho cause. For time could see no
living object, but after awhile my eyes
lighted on tawny mass on the sands
ut the roots Of a largo bush. l had
feld-glass with me, and l no soancr
brought IL to bear than / made out two
lions. They were about forty rods
away, and while tho male lay on his
back with his feet In the air, as you
have sometimes seen dog do, tho
female was stretched out on her side.
Both had their heads from me, and
were evidently asleep,
/ had had no experience In lion
hunting, and did not know how to
act My horse showed strong dis
position 70 bolt and ! dismountcd and
NADIA him fast to tho limb Of = fallen